An autosomal DNA test will give you matches with your genetic cousins on all your ancestral lines. The massive and ever-expanding databases now provide the potential to solve longstanding mysteries, and to reunite long-lost family members. However, it is important to understand how the tests work so that the results can be interpreted responsibly. Debbie will explain the basics of autosomal DNA testing, and offer strategies to help you get the best out of your test results. What do those ethnicity percentages really mean? How do you know which matches are valid? What is triangulation? And what tools and resources are available to help you?

Debbie is an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University College London. She is a member of ISOGG and the co-founder of the ISOGG Wiki. She is the administrator of the Cruwys/Cruse/Cruise DNA Project, the Devon DNA Project and the mtDNA Haplogroup U4 Project. She has written two books for the History Press: DNA and Social Networking (2011) and The Surnames Handbook (2012). Her popular blog Cruwys News was originally set up to publish findings from her one-name study but is now focused on keeping up with all the latest developments from the world of genetic genealogy.

These lectures were sponsored by FTDNA (FamilyTreeDNA) and organised by volunteers from ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy).

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